“Anything is possible in the right environment.” 

Several experts I recently interviewed for a book I’m writing on “Engaging Millennials” seem to agree. I asked them, “Why are companies struggling to engage millennials and what do you suggest?” I’ve successfully applied this principle everywhere in my life and find it as the key to connecting and engaging with others, especially millennials.   [The] interviews clearly show there are four things millennials need if they are to be engaged at work:

Growth 

If your millennials feel they are not making progress in their own personal development they will soon become disconnected and seek opportunities elsewhere.

“Millennials are rejecting traditional rules about career development and work culture,” explains Ketti Salemme, Senior Communication Manager at TINYpulse. “Rather than wait years for a promotion, millennials are looking for fast growth.”

Joe Redmond concurs. “They want to be promoted at an accelerated rate (not satisfied with the traditional three to five years approach).” He suggests that managers should get their millennials involved in projects that foster experiential learning and development. Besides creating the engagement and development needed to retain your existing millennials, you’ll also be attracting new ones!

Connection

By now, most of us are well aware that companies with workplaces that foster strong friendships among their employees have far higher engagement rates than those that don’t. This is especially true of millennials who are hyper-connected to begin with. Here are five tips to better connect with them:

Give them more face time at work. Regular meetings and continuous feedback boost engagement and performance. Besides, millennials crave constant interaction and won’t settle for a laissez-faire boss who only meets with them occasionally. Schedule weekly meetings with your millennials and get their feedback as well. Ask them “How can I be a better manager?” Then be sincere and take their advice.

Engage them outside of work. Alim Erginoglu, an employee engagement consultant at Towers Watson makes a great point: “Successful companies connect with their millennials not only during working hours but outside of work as well. Millennials see work not an only a place you go in and earn money to live, but to socialize, innovate, learn and enjoy. In a way, they amalgamate their life with work and as long as they can do that they feel engaged. Work does not limit their life but is a part of it.”

Keep it real. Another way to connect with your millennials, is by creating greater trust- and that starts by being more authentic and transparent. Great leaders don’t stress about how they might be perceived and neither should you. Forget about who you think you should be, and just be yourself. As Karl Moore, in a recent Forbes article points out: “The better you are at being an authentic leader, the more your millennial employees will appreciate you.”
Be vulnerable. If authenticity gains the trust, respect, and appreciation of your millennials, vulnerability amplifies it. Millennials are the most educated generation ever, and they know we all have the same fears of not being good enough, smart enough or worthy enough.
Dare to care. The best managers connect deeply with their millennial employees by paying attention to what’s important to them. Nicole Cunningham, Sr. Manager of Employee Experience at Knot Standard, and a millennial herself feels that managers are struggling to engage millennials because, “They are failing to focus on what motivates the individual. Although millennials enjoy working in groups and working collectively with the team, they are individually motivated.” Become a master listener and get to the root of what matters.

“Find out what makes Millennials tick and then capitalize on it,” says Jonathon Villaire, an Employee Engagement Leader at AIG. Carve out some time each week to grab lunch or a coffee with each of your direct reports. Ask them what they enjoy doing outside of work and get to know them personally. As you build a meaningful relationship with them, they will give more of themselves.

Purpose 
Doing meaningful work gives our lives purpose and studies show that millennials are happiest and most engaged at work when they feel they are making a difference. There is a clear disconnect between companies and their millennials, so here’s what you can do:
Bridge the gap. Employee engagement expert Lisa Morris at North Highland points out: “I believe the challenge comes down to employees wanting a work experience that is valuable and meaningful to them as individuals. Organizations on the other hand are focused on efficiency and effectiveness.” So keep looking for ways to make their work feel more meaningful- better yet, ask them!

Focus on their strengths. A recent study by Gallup found that millennials, more than any other generation, are asking, “Does this organization value my strengths and my contribution?” People are happiest and most productive when they are doing what they do best. Find out what each of your millennials excels at, then figure out how they can do more of whatever they’re naturally great at.

Align what they’re doing with what’s important to them. Once you know their values its easy to connect what they care about with what they’re doing. Earlier this year, while on a coaching call with a senior Fortune 1000 executive, she confided that she was feeling super disengaged; she was dreading having to spend the next day or so ensuring that a very important spreadsheet was error free. Knowing she cared for her coworkers I simply asked her, “How will your team benefit once you’ve meticulous scrutinized this spreadsheet?” As soon as she realized how her work would impact her team, her energy skyrocketed and she felt more engaged.

Acknowledge their impact. Make sure you publicly acknowledge the contribution your young reports are having on the organization. “Millennials expect to be recognized much more frequently than members of previous generations,” says Mark Fulford an MBA professor at the University of Central Missouri. Recognizing, praising and celebrating their successes whenever possible will pay huge dividends in the long run.

Coaching
If managers are to succeed at engaging their millennials their leadership style needs to become more coach-centric. The authoritative, command-and-control style of management might have worked with traditionalists, but won’t stand a chance with millennials.

“They view authority differently,” explains Joe Redmond, a director of employee engagement at Olympus Surgical Technologies. “They tend not to want managers. So have them participate in cross functional teams.” Millennials work great together and getting them to collaborate with each other is a huge step towards getting them engaged.

Engagement also means empowerment, something that is imperative with millennials. Disempowered employees are also disengaged employees and will cost you and the organization more than an occasional headache. Become a great coach and empower your millennials by helping them become more confident, asking for their input on important issues and supporting them whenever possible.

Conclusion
Successfully engaging your millennials is a lot like engaging those Caribbean reef sharks; you’ll need to create the perfect work environment. Dianne Crampton, founder of TIGERS Success Series sums it up best: “The best managers are actively interested in their employees, learn about their needs and wants, and give their millennials immediate in-time feedback and coaching.”

Here’s the bullet list you can take away to better lead, connect and engage your millennials:
• Make sure they have a lot of opportunity to grow as leaders
• Connect with them in and out of the office
• Create more opportunities for them to collaborate with their coworkers 
• Their work is important and makes a difference
• Recognize and celebrate their work as often as possible
• And finally, coach, empower and support them whenever you can.

Ultimately, I think QK Toralba, Employee Engagement Manager at Acquire BPO and himself a millennial sums it up best: “Letting employees feel that they are valued, recognized and that there is an opportunity for growth are the biggest factors in having an engaged workforce.”